


Insert Cash

by blueskiesandgoodvibes



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: A bad teacher, Adopted Children, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Daniel is a teacher, David Adopts Max (Camp Camp), David is Bisexual, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gwen works at Campbell's grocery store, Love Triangles, M/M, Marriage, Max likes fruit snacks, MomGwen, Soft Gwen, Unrequited Love, dadvid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 03:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17952566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueskiesandgoodvibes/pseuds/blueskiesandgoodvibes
Summary: David recently got fired from his job, and is struggling financially to take care of his adopted son, Max. But one day, a woman named Gwen decides to pay for his groceries, and life takes a swift turn for the better.





	Insert Cash

**Author's Note:**

> it's casually been years since i wrote on here LOL  
> but hi!! hope y'all like this. i'll keep this fandom alive i swear

“Please insert cash or select payment type.”

Sighing, David swiped his debit card, watching as it got declined. The purchase was a mere $15.49, and yet, here he was. A broke, single father raising a ten year old with anger issues and a foul mouth. That ten year old, Max, happened to be wandering around, glancing at the selection of store-brand chocolates and fruit snacks that looked like they were made a few decades ago. In the moment, David felt hopeless, watching his adopted son live a life where his father couldn’t even purchase him a candy bar. David picked up the food items he’d tried to buy, weighing them in his hands. Some ramen, lettuce, pasta sauce, angel hair pasta, and Pop-Tarts. Even that teddy bear Max was holding, he couldn’t afford.

“Let me guess, declined again?” Max jeered, causing David to jump and let out a rather high-pitched scream. Silently, David looked away, his expression equivalent to that of a guilty dog. What was he thinking, taking in a child while in such a horrible financial state? The poor thing deserved a home with two parents with stable jobs, and here David was, unable to pay for ramen noodles like he was a college student. David ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes and thinking to himself. Turning around to face Max, David leaned down to his height, throwing on an consoling smile.

Looking into Max’s eyes made David feel a certain sadness he couldn’t describe. It was like a dull ache, right in the center of his heart. “Listen, Max,” David quavered, placing a hand on Max’s shoulder, “I’m sorry I can’t get you your teddy bear… or even Pop-Tarts. The office I work at let me go, you know that. And as of right now, I haven’t been able to find any openings. As soon as I get the money, I’ll get you your bear. I promise.” Max shrugged him off, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets and shuffling his feet. David knew just by the boy’s body language that he was disappointed, and David couldn’t blame him for it.

Placing the teddy bear on a random shelf, Max huffed, giving the animal one last look before walking away from it. “I know you don’t have the fuckin’ money. That’s what you’ve been saying for the past three weeks. I’m tired of eating takeout and ramen! And I’m tired of not even being able to have one goddamn bear.” Max crossed his arms, heading towards the exit of the store. “Let’s just go home. This is just depressing.” Shame washed over David as he began to follow, only stopping upon hearing the voice of a woman.

“Hey! Come get your groceries.” David spun around, his green eyes meeting violet. The woman was a bit shorter than him and had crimson hair tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing a cashier uniform and looked like she hadn’t seen a bed in days. In her left hand was the reusable bag David was using to hold what he would’ve been buying. “Kind of an important part of shopping, you know?” she asked, a joking tone to her voice. Upon closer inspection, her name was displayed on her name tag. ‘Gwendolyn’. 

Intrigued, David approached her. “Oh, ma’am, I think you’re mistaken. We… decided not to make the purchase.” Still embarrassed, David held his tongue, despite Max’s disappointed glare. “But thank you anyways for your help!” David grinned, trying to remain his chipper self as he swiveled around once more to escort Max out of the store. Before he could even take a step, Gwendolyn had caught up with him again, holding out the bag stubbornly. Just from the look in her eyes, David could tell he should probably take it. He reached out and took the items, confused. “I didn’t-”

“Pay for them?” Gwendolyn asked, looking back at the self-checkout station David had been standing by. “I know that. Your card got declined. Don’t worry, I paid for it, I know what it’s like to be broke.” Instead of letting David respond, Gwendolyn pulled out a twenty dollar bill, forcing it into David’s hands so he couldn’t refuse. “And don’t give me that back. It’s for next week. I mean, you’ve got a kid to take care of, right?” She then walked over to the shelf, lifting the teddy bear and delivering it to Max. “Here, kid. This bear’s on me.” Max’s eyes lit up as he hugged the bear hastily, then proceeding on with his usual bitter attitude. Gwendolyn grinned and scratched the back of her neck, looking away. “You don’t have to call me ma’am either. Just Gwen,” she added. Without another word, she paced away, moving on to help another customer who was yelling at an ATM.

Feeling bewildered, David held the bag at his side, simply staring at the woman as she walked off. “David, stop staring at her like a creepy dick. Let’s go,” Max demanded, tugging on the sleeve of David’s green flannel shirt. Despite the angry undertone of the words, David knew Max was happy after that interaction: and frankly, David was, too. He’d come to Campbell’s Grocery Store for years and had never once met a staff member as kind as Gwen. After another sharp pull on his arm, David snapped into reality, nodding and leading Max to the exit. As he was leaving, he noticed a flyer. He stopped to look at it, ignoring Max’s commands for him to hurry up. The flyer said:

 

HELP WANTED! ~ Serve customers with a friendly smile! ~ Call 202-555-0133 (Ask for Cameron) 

David decided he’d have to come back soon. “Come on, David! Are you braindead?! Stop staring at random shit so we can go home!” After scolding Max for his language, David reached out for Max’s hand, still overly protective of him while he was crossing the street. The streets were dangerous, so obviously, David had to help. “Let go! You’re so fucking embarrassing!” Used to the insults, David just smiled gently, pulling out his keys and unlocking his car. After ensuring Max was inside and buckled up in the backseat, David climbed into the driver’s seat, putting the key in and beginning to drive. 

The car ride was quiet except for the staticy music the radio emitted. That was, until Max decided to break the silence. “I can’t believe that today is the last day of summer, and we’re wasting it grocery shopping. I don’t want to go to school. I fucking hate everyone there. They’re all idiots,” Max complained, rolling down the window to feel the breeze. “Can’t I just get a job or something? I don’t care if that’s child labor. You know what? School is child labor. Did you know MATH stands for Mental Abuse to Humans?” Sighing, David listened to Max carry on, letting him ramble until he was all out of steam. 

Remaining calm, David glanced in the rearview mirror, watching as the reflection of Max crossed his arms and hugged onto the teddy bear. “I know that groceries isn’t the most fun thing in the world, and I know you don’t want to go to school. But… you haven’t even given these kids a chance! It’s a new school, you know, and it doesn’t have too many people. I made sure when I sent in your application,” David explained, hoping to console the raging ten year old. “It’ll be okay. I promise it won’t be like last year..” Just thinking back to the previous year made David shudder. He knew of the hardships Max had suffered in those cruel months and never wanted it to happen again. No child deserved that sort of pain.

Max shifted, kicking the seat in front of him. “You make a lot of promises,” he pointed out, “But most of the time, you can’t keep ‘em. You don’t have to lie to me. I know it’s going to be shit.” As if on cue, a light rain began to fall, raindrops sliding down the glass of the car’s windows. Turning on the windshield wipers in silence, David kept his eyes on the road. “When you adopted me, I thought things were getting better. Turns out they’re still bad, just in a different way.” David looked back as he stopped the car in front of their house, a sorrowful expression on his face. David knew he wasn’t the perfect father figure, but hell, he was trying. And yet… Max was still unhappy.

David held an arm over Max’s head, attempting to shield him from the rain as they made their way inside the cheap, one-story house they called home. The second they got inside, Max threw off his sneakers and dashed upstairs, running in his room and slamming the door behind him. Hiding away was a habit of his. David felt horrible, but left Max alone, seeing no reason to bother him further. “What am I doing?” David mumbled to himself, making his way to the bathroom and opening up the door. The first sight that greeted him was his own reflection in the mirror: hair soaked with rainwater, tired eyes, wrinkled shirt. Needless to say, he didn’t think it was a good look for him. Opening the mirror, he revealed his secret medicine cabinet. Bottles of medicine lined the shelves. David reached out for one of them, dumping out one of the pills onto his cold palm. Time for Prozac.

Cup of water in hand, David tilted his head back, taking the pills with ease. It was a routine he’d been used to for a long time. That was the problem. His routine. Letting life getting out of hand was his problem. And that problem was beginning to get to his son. Staring into the eyes of his own reflection, David decided that had to change. And he had to be the one to fix it. He wasn’t going to stand by and watch the child he promised a good home sink into a depressive state because he couldn’t provide for the two of them. If he tried, he knew he could make all of this better.

And that would start with calling the number on the flyer.


End file.
